In 2015, I had a chance to participate in the Sakura Science Plan (SSP) Exchange Program in Science hosted by Osaka University. Besides hands-on experience, I met some Vietnamese Senpais and knew more about the life of a foreign student at Osaka University. One year later, I graduated from my Bachelor course and then applied for the master course in Physics at Osaka University. It was fortunate that I passed the entrance exam and the Professor who hosted the Sakura program the previous year accepted me into his lab. I also got a scholarship after being recommended by Osaka University. This master course for me was about having experience of studying abroad and determining if I should choose the research career path. Two years of this master course taught me not only the knowledge and experience in experimental physics but also other treasured lessons.

The first one is about facing difficulties and failures. There were many days I came to my lab full of energy but returned home worn out, with nothing finished. After many times, I felt that, probably, this was a part of my research life. If I kept judging each day by its result, my days of failure were uncountable. There is a quote that I truly appreciate in this case: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest we reap but by the seeds we plant”. If I have tried my best for that day, I should not be disappointed about its result. Indeed, when I started to feel bad about one day, I found many days after were also filled with disappointment. Good mental health is also needed not only for research but also for my everyday life. "Every day should be a fresh beginning".

The second one is about the beginning. Many times, I found myself hesitant to try something because I was afraid it would also fail as other ideas or I expected myself to come with something better. But if I let that hesitation last for too long, the task seems more burdensome because "the work expands to fit the time available for it". I found a useful way to make a start was breaking the idea into small parts that were possible to achieve so I could keep track of how much I have accomplished. Maybe, in the end, I could not reach the first expectation, but probably 80-70% of that expectation could still help me complete my task. Sometimes, taking one small step is all I need for a giant leap.

I am glad that I had the right decision to study for the master's course at Osaka University. In these two years, I have seen myself changed positively and also found an interesting topic for the PhD. Continuing to the PhD course will be more difficult, but I believe it will help me achieve my goal of becoming a researcher and a teacher. It will also change me much more, to become the better person that I always want to be.